Ben Rice will get a very personal backdrop for his first Home Run Derby appearance. The Yankees slugger is scheduled to compete on Monday, July 13, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and his father, Dan Rice, will be the one throwing to him.
Rice said the Derby has been a dream for both of them, and the setting gives the event an unusual twist. Instead of a standard batting practice look, the father-son pairing will put a familiar baseball moment on a big league stage in front of a national audience.
Why this Derby matters for Rice
Rice has become one of the most productive bats in the American League while Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are hurt. That run has helped push him into one of baseball's biggest summer showcases, and it gives the Yankees another notable presence in the event. The Yankees have not won the Derby since Aaron Judge took the title in 2017 in Miami.
It will also be Rice's first Derby appearance, which adds another layer to the night. In 2025, Cal Raleigh won the Derby in Atlanta with his father pitching to him and his younger brother behind the plate, so Rice will not be the first player to bring family into the event. But it remains a rare setup, and one that should make his round easy to follow.
From Dartmouth to the big stage
Rice's path to this moment has been a steady climb. The Yankees drafted him in the 12th round in 2021 with the 363rd pick overall out of Dartmouth, and he reached the majors in July 2024. In that debut game against the Red Sox, he hit three home runs, a clear sign of the power that has since made him an important part of the lineup.
This season, Rice has hit.267 with 25 home runs, which ranks fifth-most in the majors and third in the American League. That kind of production is enough to earn a Home Run Derby invite on its own, but the family connection makes this one feel different.
A new Derby format and a familiar goal
MLB reworked the Derby format away from timed rounds because players had complained they were too tiring. Rice said that change is a positive one, noting that it takes some pressure off the BP thrower because the hitter has to swing at every pitch. He also said he has not spent much time thinking about strategy, preferring to enjoy the experience and have fun taking BP with his dad at a big league field.
That approach fits the moment. Rice is getting his first shot at one of the sport's most popular showcases, and he is doing it with Dan Rice, who pitched at Brown in the 1980s, on the other side of the plate. For a first-time entrant, it is about as memorable a setup as the Home Run Derby can offer.
